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Thursday, 2 May 2013

What Doulas Do

As I childbirth educator, I recommend women get a birth doula (here's a list of birth doulas in Korea). You might also be interested in how birth doulas set their fees. Doulas help
women before, during, and after giving birth as well as with
breastfeeding and postpartum care. Birth/labour doulas help women
during the birthing process and postpartum doulas help them afterwards.
They do not offer you medical advice, but can help you explore your options.

Doulas work for you and keep your goals for
your birth in mind. Whereas doctors, who may schedule an emergency
C-section for you because it's a Friday night. Doulas can act as a
buffer between you and the doctor. While they are
involved in your birth, they are also able to take a step back and are
cool, calm and collected during stressful times.

Many doulas
are women and have given birth themselves. They know that women's bodies
are capable of giving birth. Doulas can be used for anything from a
drug-free birth to a C-section.

Research shows using a doula during labour can provide many benefits

50% reduction in the cesarean rate

25% shorter labor

60% reduction in epidural requests

40% reduction in synthetic oxytocin use

30% reduction in analgesia (pain relief) use

40% reduction in forceps delivery

Your baby is also less likely to be admitted to the NICU

Women who have doulas are more likely to rate their birth experience positively.

Do doulas replace dads?
No!
Not at all. Dads are usually glad to have a doula there. Doulas provide
guidance and are very experienced. Men may have a hard time seeing
their partner go through birth and feel helpless when they can’t help.
Doulas help comfort and guide a woman through the birth. Doulas do not
take the dad’s place. Rather they take the stress out of the situation
and allow the man to show his support for his partner.

How expensive are doulas?
Some
people don't want to hire a doula because they think they will be too
expensive. Honestly, doulas aren't as expensive as you might think
they'd be. Most doulas in Korea charge about 800,000 to 1 mil won. You
may think that's a lot, but on average they spend about 40 hours with
you. They'll answer your emails, phone calls, and meet with you before and after birth as well as being
with you during your entire labor.

You have to also consider this is a
once in a lifetime opportunity. You will only give birth to this baby
once. And when you consider that hiring a doula decreases your chances
of getting a C-section or epidural, you may actually save money if you
get a doula.

I honestly think that doulas are worth their weight in gold. Apart from choosing a birthing center/hospital that aligns with your way of thinking, hiring a doula is one of the best things you can do to get the birth you want.

Childbirth International

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